MORE than 100 people  made a splash by taking  part in the annual charity  Topsham to Turf swim.

The brave swimmers,  who were mostly clad in  wetsuits, took the plunge in  the River Exe from the Passage Inn in Topsham and  emerged at the Turf Locks  — one and a half miles  away.

The fundraising swim is  expected to raise more than  £5,000 for the Estuary  League of Friends, a local  charity supporting the elderly and infirm.

The swim, which is in its  fourth year, was organised  by ferryman Mike Stevens,  who is no stranger to feats  of endurance.

He has been dubbed the  Human Fish for holding the  world underwater endurance record 21 years  ago,  when he spent a staggering 212 hours and 30  minutes underwater in scuba diving equipment.

These days Mike can normally be seen rowing passengers across the Exe estuary from Topsham.

He said the event could  not have gone better. “Everything was marvellous  and I am delighted that so  many enthusiastic people  took part,” he said.

“I found out that people in  Topsham used to do the  swim every year in the  1930s, so I decided to resurrect it.

 “Initially I did it on my  own four years ago and every year since more and  more people have joined  in.

“The dedication of the  volunteers who helped me,  from the people on kayaks  and tug boats to the women  manning the registration  table, has been great.”

Paul Russell, 60, a building surveyor from Topsham, completed the swim  in 50 minutes.

 He said: “The weather  conditions were perfect for  it and the water wasn’t too  cold.

“The people in kayaks  made it easy to navigate our  way towards Turf.  There  was a really nice atmosphere and I think everyone  had a good time. I’ll definitely do it again next  year.”

Rebecca Seeley-Harris,  43, a legal consultant, from  Topsham, took part in the  swim for the first time and  completed it in an hour.

 “I was a bit nervous before the event,” she said.  “But once we were in the  water it was OK.

“I used to be wary of open  water and would worry  about what lies beneath, but  I was fine. I think the swim  has actually help me to  overcome my fear.”

Jeremy Taylor, 38, travelled down from Marlow, in  Buckinghamshire, to take  part in the event.

 He said: “I heard about it  from the ferryman when we  were here on holiday last  year and thought it sounded  like a great idea.

“So I made sure I was first  on the list to do it.  It’s great  to see a town’s community  come together for an fun  charity event like this.”